Outlook is a popular email and calendar management tool used by millions of people around the world. One of its useful features is the ability to add optional attendees to a meeting or event. This allows you to invite people who are not required to attend, but may still be interested in the meeting or event. In this article, we will discuss how to add optional attendees in Outlook.
What are Optional Attendees?
Before we dive into the steps of adding optional attendees in Outlook, let’s first understand what they are. Optional attendees are people who are not required to attend a meeting or event, but their presence may still be beneficial. For example, you may want to invite a colleague from a different department to a meeting to provide their input, but their attendance is not mandatory. By adding them as an optional attendee, they can see the meeting details and choose to attend if they wish.
Steps to Add Optional Attendees in Outlook
Adding optional attendees in Outlook is a simple process. Follow these steps to do so:
- Open Outlook and go to the calendar view.
- Click on the date and time of the meeting or event you want to add optional attendees to.
- In the meeting window, click on the “To” button to open the address book.
- In the address book, select the names of the required attendees and click on the “Required” button to add them to the meeting.
- Next, click on the “Optional” button to add optional attendees.
- In the address book, select the names of the optional attendees and click on the “Optional” button to add them to the meeting.
- Once you have added all the required and optional attendees, click on the “OK” button to save the changes.
- You can now proceed to add a subject, location, and other details for the meeting.
- Finally, click on the “Send” button to send the meeting invitation to all attendees.
Tips for Adding Optional Attendees in Outlook
Here are some tips to keep in mind when adding optional attendees in Outlook:
- Make sure to clearly label the attendees as “required” or “optional” to avoid confusion.
- Consider the time and date of the meeting when adding optional attendees. Make sure it is convenient for them to attend.
- If you are unsure if someone should be a required or optional attendee, it is better to add them as optional to give them the choice to attend.
- Keep in mind that optional attendees may not receive reminders or updates about the meeting, so make sure to communicate any changes directly with them.
Conclusion
Adding optional attendees in Outlook is a useful feature that allows you to invite people who may not be required to attend a meeting or event, but their presence may still be beneficial. By following the simple steps outlined in this article, you can easily add optional attendees to your meetings and events in Outlook. So next time you are planning a meeting, don’t forget to consider adding optional attendees to the invitation list.
